Moore’s News Roundup Digest - Friday, January 30, 2004
Pixar Dropping Disney as Distributor
OSDir.com Editorial: Having Bitten the Forbidden Fruit, it Bit Me Back. Six Times.
Are You Ready for the Worst Apple Products?
The Problem With The "BMW" Of Computers Argument
Apple Recruiting Again In Ireland
Iomega Claims Problems With USB2.0 Ports In Apple laptops
US Airways Adds Inflight E-Mail, Instant Messaging and More With Verizon Airfone JetConnect
IBM ThinkPad T41p - The Best Laptop?
Linux Laptop - A Prince Among Young Frogs [/url]
Pixar Dropping Disney as Distributor
TheStreet.com's George Mannes says:
"The cloud of uncertainty hovering over Disney thickened Thursday afternoon as Pixar closed the door on their distribution arrangement.
"Shares of both companies slumped after Pixar, the movie-animation studio led by top Apple exec Steve Jobs, ended talks over extending its collaboration with Burbank, Calif.-based Disney. Pixar said it will instead retain full ownership of movies made after 2005.
"'After 10 months of trying to strike a deal with Disney, we're moving on,' Jobs said. 'We've had a great run together -- one of the most successful in Hollywood history -- and it's a shame that Disney won't be participating in Pixar's future successes.'"
For the full report, visit here:
http://www.thestreet.com/tech/georgemannes/10140569.html
OSDir.com Editorial: Having Bitten the Forbidden Fruit, it Bit Me Back. Six Times.
"I'm a long time Linux user. Let there be no mistake. I have Linux servers out the ying yang. But, two years ago I was smitten with OS X and the easy wireless connectivity that iBooks could give me. Two years later I'm abandoning OS X and Apple.....
"Over the last two years my first iBook's logic board blew up three times. (Read on. I know this is hardware vs software.) The first time I sent the iBook for repair it was sent and back in two days. Frankly I was astonished at the service. The second and third time, without any complaints about the service, I was a bit ticked off about the hardware. Apple replaced the iBook with another and I thought I was on my merry way. Not so. The same thing has happened to the replacement."
[Editor's note: Apple has just announced an extended repair program for iBook logic board proble
You can check it out at:
http://news.osdir.com/article434.html
Are You Ready for the Worst Apple Products?
macnightowl's Gene Steinberg writes:
"After writing two articles about the very best Macs in the past 20 years for USA Today's online division, I decided to look at the clunkers, the ones that missed the mark big time. Like any other best or worst list, I could take two approaches. I might simply poll you readers and ask you about your particular selections, or just stick to my own devices."
You can check it out at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.htm#products
The Problem With The "BMW" Of Computers Argument
MacWriter says:
"We've heard this defense of Apple's 3% market share before; heck, I referred to it the other day myself. But when I recently heard Steve Jobs use it, twice, in two different publications, something rang less than true. So I thought about it a little, and...
"The analogy just doesn't hold up. A car and a computer are both tools, you could even say that they both take you places, I suppose. But that's about where their similarities end. A car is good for two things - to drive or to look at. No matter how much you accessorize it, it boils down to transportation and aesthetics. A computer, however, is a tool with an infinite number of uses. So many, in fact that the operating system itself (think onboard computer here) is not enough to serve the multitude of interests it must serve...
"It's nice to say that the Mac is the "BMW" of the computer world. Aesthetically (if you like Beemers), it rings true enough. I like the sound of it. But future BMW sales aren't threatened by a potential decision by JBL to stop manufacturing CD disk changers that would work in their cars.
"In the computer industry, market share is much more important than aesthetics, sound design and glowing reviews, at least when it comes to ensuring that critical third party apps remain available for current and prospective users for the foreseeable future...."
Read more at:
http://www.macwriter.net/feature/
Apple Recruiting Again In Ireland
HardMac.com's Lionel has posted a new job offer from Apple in Ireland. [translation by Kalomir]
"We're a Dublin based consulting sructure, spécialized in recruiting French for jobs in Ireland.
We're currently looking for junior technicians bilingual French-English to do support on MAC products - the job being based in Cork.
"Good general knowledge in IT and a fluent English are required. The job interviews will take place in Ireland. Wages: 17700 Euros/year +benefits and advantages- The firm will help you moving and getting installed in Ireland. This is a real opportunity to start an international carreer in IT (spécialised for MAC)."
You can check it out at:
http://www.hardmac.com/niouzcontenu.php?date=2004-01-29#1492
Iomega Claims Problems With USB2.0 Ports In Apple laptops
MacFixIt reports:
"We received a report from Iomega representative Wayne Linder that the USB2.0 ports found on Apple's PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) and iBook G4 models do not wake from sleep properly, resulting in a lack of functionality."
You can check it out at:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20040129011614172
US Airways Adds Inflight E-Mail, Instant Messaging and More With Verizon Airfone JetConnect
US Airways has announced that Verizon Airfone JetConnect(SM) service will be available on many of its domestic routes beginning Feb. 1, 2004. US Airways passengers will now have inflight access to e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, games, news, sports, weather and more.
Customers using JetConnect can log on and off as many times as they like for a flat fee. JetConnect with e-mail costs $15.98 per flight, plus $0.10 per KB for attachments and/or data in excess of 5KB per message. JetConnect without the e-mail feature is available for $5.99 per flight.
US Airways will offer JetConnect on more than 80 of its Airfone-equipped Airbus aircraft, which are also equipped with power ports at every seat.
"In today's tech-savvy environment, we recognize that our customers want to stay connected while traveling," said B. Ben Baldanza, US Airways senior vice president of marketing and planning. "With power ports at every seat, customers on JetConnect flights can stay connected longer without running down their laptop battery."
"JetConnect is of particular value to business travelers intent on boosting inflight productivity, and the move to JetConnect becomes a valuable service enhancement for US Airways," said Bill Pallone, president of Verizon Airfone.
To use the JetConnect service, passengers plug their laptop computers into the Verizon Airfone handset at their seat. Passengers use routine dial-up procedures to link to JetConnect and no software downloads or changes to connection procedures are required.
Verizon Airfone uses Seattle-based Tenzing Communications as its e-mail software provider.
Verizon Airfone JetConnect Service Overview
• Supports both Windows and Macintosh users with standard laptops.
• $15.98 per flight to send and receive an unlimited number of e-mail
messages. Messages and/or attachments in excess of 5KB incur an
additional cost of 10 cents per KB. The service includes instant
messaging, one-way text messaging, updated weather, national,
international and business news, sports, stock listings, games, over 100
city guides and airline information.
• $5.99 per flight without the e-mail feature.
E-mail accounts available inflight are:
• All personal and corporate accounts that use OWA (Microsoft Exchange
Outlook Web Access)
• All ISP and corporate accounts that use POP3 or SPOP (most major ISPs)
• AOL, MSN, Hotmail and Yahoo!
US Airways is the nation's seventh-largest airline, serving nearly 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and the US Airways Express partner carriers operate over 3,300 flights per day. For more information on JetConnect on US Airways, visit US Airways online at usairways.com/jetconnect.
Verizon Airfone, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, began offering commercial service in 1984 with the introduction of the first cordless air-to- ground telephone system. Airfone installed the first seatback telephone in 1987, and the company deployed a nationwide, end-to-end digital system starting in 1993. Verizon Airfone introduced JetConnect, the inflight e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging service in 2003, and is the only inflight connectivity service offering passengers e-mail on U.S. commercial flights.
IBM ThinkPad T41p - The Best Laptop?
The Register's Trusted Reviews says:
"A little while ago I reviewed the IBM ThinkPad T41 and I have to say that I really liked it. I liked it so much in fact that I chose it as my companion when I travelled to Las Vegas for CES. There it did its duty admirably as I had to write up everything I saw at the show as well as edit and upload copy sent from back home, writes Riyad Emeran.
"However, it isn't quite perfect and there were one or two points that ultimately robbed it of a perfect score. I am therefore very happy to report that pretty much everything that wasn't quite right with the T41 has been addressed in the T41p. In fact, it isn't just the issues that I had with the original T41 that have been addressed, there are features packed into the T41p that I hadn't even hoped for. With all this in mind, and I don't say this very lightly, the T41p is, quite simply, the best notebook computer I have ever used."
You can check it out at:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/71/35217.html
Linux Laptop - A Prince Among Young Frogs
Also on The Reg., IT-Analysis notes:
"After kissing a few frogs with some heavyweight laptops that didn't quite transform into princely sales, Tadpole is hoping for more success with its latest product family, Talin, writes Bloor Research analyst Rob Bamforth. Tadpole has taken its longstanding relationship with Sun technologies a step further, as this family of Linux based laptops is the first to sport a fully supported mobile installation of the Sun Java Desktop System.
"The Talin laptops will eventually offer a broad range of portable specifications. The first to be launched is a middle-of-the range model, Talin 15, offering a Pentium 4 processor running up to 3GHz with a 15inch high resolution display and built-in Wi-Fi. This will soon be followed by a lightweight, 3.5lb ultra-portable and somewhat later, a high-end 17inch-display version for power users. This may be Tadpole's first Intel laptop, but if the price is right and the hardware quality good, there's no reason these products should not be considered alongside existing portable business workhorses. The real differentiation is the platform software."
For more:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/61/35208.html
Charles W. Moore
